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Over the past five years, she’d done a lot of things she’d never thought of before. Although, if she were honest with herself, she’d have thought by now she’d be better off career-wise than she was. Not that she was one to complain—or at least she wasn’tnow; things could always get worse. But after strugglingto get a degree, she’d made the incorrect assumption she’d be considered highly marketable considering who her family was.
And yes, she supposed it made her somewhat of a hypocrite to attempt to use for her own benefit those family ties she’d severed. She didn’t care.
But as she soon learned, there was no line of people outside her office waiting for a chance to talk to her. Nor was her phone vibrating with an endless number of incoming texts and urgent voice mails. It didn’t take long for her to see the Lewis name was nothing but a hindrance. Mere months after leaving everything behind, she started going by her mother’s maiden name—Fair. Lately, she’d been working with an employment service to find work. She realized as soon as they sent her here changing her last name had been an exercise in futility. She would never be able to live down that night five years ago.
“Ms. Fair?”
She looked up to find a tall, well-built man with dark hair and piercing blue eyes standing in front of her. “Yes.”
“I’m Fulton Matthews,” he said, shaking her hand. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Come on back to my office.”
Veronica followed him into a neat and tidy office with a large wooden desk and two plush leather chairs. She sat in one, noticing the picture on his desk as she did. It was a candid shot, obviously taken on his wedding day. His bride had her head thrown back, laughing while he watched with a look of such raw passion Veronica felt like a voyeur.
“I’m not sure what the agency told you about this position,” Fulton said, sitting down behind the desk and drawing her attention away from the photo. “The short of it is, the academy’s executive assistant is taking a leave of absence for the summer, and even though there won’t be any students on the island, we still need someone in that position.”
Veronica nodded. That was the information she’d been told. Along with the fact that this was no ordinary academy.
“I’ve looked over your resume,” Fulton continued. “I want to ensure the agency did mention, and that you are aware, this is a BDSM academy?”
She cleared her throat. “Yes.” Knowing he couldn’t ask any direct questions along those lines, she volunteered the information she assumed he wanted. “I have experience in the lifestyle. Not recently, and not a lot even when I was active, but enough, I believe, not to embarrass either myself or the academy. And I don’t know if it matters or if you even need to know, but I consider myself a submissive, or I did when I was active in the lifestyle.”
“Thank you for that,” he said with a smile. “Why don’t I show you around, and while we walk, I can fill you in on the details of the job?”
She agreed and followed him as he led her down the hall. Their first stop was the kitchen, and Veronica was shocked to find the woman from the photo—Fulton’s wife, she assumed—behind a counter and wielding a knife like nobody’s business.
Fulton waited until she stopped before addressing her, probably so she wouldn’t chop a finger off.
“Andie,” he said, getting her attention after she placed the knife down.
Andie smiled and walked toward them, wiping her hands on the towel attached to her waist. “Hi.” She reached her hand out for a shake. “Andie Matthews.”
“My wife,” Fulton said, his voice filled with pride. “And the best chef in the state of Oregon.”
“Or at least on this island,” Andie said, rolling her eyes. “You must be looking into the executive assistant position.”
“Veronica Fair,” she said. “And yes, I am.”
“Veronica Fair. What a beautiful name,” Andie said.
Veronica felt a little guilty not confessing that it wasn’t her given name. Even though she’d only just met Fulton and Andie, she didn’t think they would hold the Lewis name against her, but it wasn’t anything she wanted to test at the moment. “Thank you.”
“I’m giving Veronica the grand tour,” Fulton said to his wife. “Would you like to come with us?”
“Sure. I need a break.” Andie walked back to the counter she’d been working at. “Let me put this stuff in the refrigerator so it doesn’t spoil.”
Fulton showed her around the inside of the academy. She peeked inside several empty classrooms, surprised that most of them actually looked like classrooms. They stepped into the dining room, which was also empty. Andie told her there were other people on the island. Namely, a handful of teachers and a few year-round employees. She added that since there weren’t any students for the summer, she wasn’t cooking meals, but the kitchen was open for anyone to use. “As long as they clean up after themselves.”
They didn’t go down to the lower levels. Fulton explained that was where the playrooms were but that they weren’t for personal use. She didn’t care, and to be honest, he really didn’t have to tell her. It wasn’t as if she had any plans to do anything kinky during the summer. But she smiled and nodded just the same, telling herself it wasn’t as if he knew she wasn’t going to proposition the first single Dom she made the acquaintance of.
As they made their way outside, Fulton told her about the owners of the academy. According to him, Lennox and Mariela MacLure had a residence on the island but spent most of their time in an expansive log cabin they built a few years ago about sixty miles north of Spokane.
“Although log cabin doesn’t do the place justice,” Andie added. “Seeing as how the main house is over twelve thousandsquare feet.” She shook her head. “But they do try to visit the academy every month or so.”
“They typically stay longer in the summer,” Fulton said and, at his wife’s nod, turned to explain his statement to Veronica. “For the past four or five years, a friend of Lennox and Mariela’s stays on the island for about two months during the summer. He’s in a high-profile occupation and uses the time here to decompress and make plans for the following year. He pretty much keeps to himself other than when Lennox and Mariela are visiting, though you might see him walking around some.”
She’d make sure to stay out of his way. Growing up with her father had given her an education on men in high-profile occupations, and she knew all too well that the best thing to do was to stay as far away from them as possible. She imagined that went double for those who were so stressed out they had to retreat to an island once a year in order to decompress.
The rest of the tour went smoothly. The island was gorgeous and peaceful, and she found Fulton and Andie both to be friendly and easygoing. As they walked around the property, Fulton made it a point to speak to each employee they passed. It was easy to see why the MacLures trusted him to run the academy and oversee the island.
